Germany’s Catholic Church will deny worshippers the right to Holy Communion and religious burials if people do not pay a special church tax.

A newly-enforced German bishops’ decree says anyone failing to pay the tax – an extra 8% of their income tax bill – will no longer be considered a Catholic.

All people in Germany must pay this tax if they want to worship in either Catholic or protestant churches, or Jewish synagogues.

Worshippers in Germany will be no longer considered Catholic if they do not pay the special church tax

Last year millions of files spanning decades were handed over to criminal investigators by all 27 dioceses of the Catholic Church hierarchy in Germany in a bid to get to the heart of child sex abuse by priests.

It was seen as an attempt to staunch the flow of leavers who made it plain the scandal, and…

‘‘What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth—from whom do they receive custom or poll-tax? from their sons or from the strangers?’ Peter saith to him, ‘From the strangers.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then are the sons free; but, that we may not cause them to stumble, having gone to the sea, cast a hook, and the fish that hath come up first take thou up, and having opened its mouth, thou shalt find a stater, that having taken, give to them for me and thee.’ Matthew 17:25-27, as Peter was about to approach Jesus about the temple tax.
Jesus says the sons are free, and only paid to avoid making others stumble.
Thank you for following me.